Guide us all
by Admeet
Summary: Tojo, Kula, Malka, Tama, and Chumvi are living in a world of danger where mad dogs feed relentlessly and a merciless tyrant rules the Pride Lands; escape is the only option. With the help of each other, they carve out their own adventure under the stars that Guide us all.
1. Prologue

**Guide us all**

**Prologue**

Darkness fell upon the vast plains of the Pride Lands. The last shimmering rays of the sun dipped below the horizon to signal the start of another long night. The huge monolith of Pride Rock darkened to blend in with the now bleak surroundings. To the casual viewer, Pride Rock would've looked almost hidden in the darkness. However, an even bleaker outlook was about to be burdened upon the residents of Pride Rock.

A lone dark lion strode towards the giant rock formation with a blue hornbill following behind him. The lion seemed to have his head sunk low in recognition of the recent events that had unfolded that very day. A stampede of wildebeests heading through the nearby gorge had ultimately killed the king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa, and his son, Simba in a freak accident. The dark lion, Scar, as he liked to be named, was none other than the secret perpetrator of this disaster. But as cunning as he was he was about to play innocent with his fellow pride members.

Within Pride Rock, the lionesses were growing concerned over how long their king had been away with his son. However, a band of cubs were still eager to play with one another in the cave they had grown accustomed to but very oblivious to the coming revelation which would change their lives forever.

"Too slow!" a brown male cub, Chumvi, shouted as he evaded the pounce of another male cub with tan fur and a black hair tuft, Malka. The tan cub landed ungraciously with both front paws spread out on the ground and his bottom sticking up in the air. Off on the sidelines, a female tan cub with a small hair tuft, Tama, laughed at Malka's haphazard acrobatic skills while Kula, a female brown cub, joined in with the fun. Malka groaned in this embarrassment and set off in hot pursuit .

A tail's length away from Kula, Tojo, another tan cub with bright blue eyes, was the only cub who wasn't joining in on the fun the others were having. Instead he was in deep thought about his fellow team member, Simba. "_Why hasn't he returned yet?_"He thought with his head laying on top of his paws. He knew that Simba had apparently gone with his uncle, Scar, for a walk but he didn't say where though. "It's a surprise" he could hear Simba say about the confidentiality of this walk. It also felt peculiar that he had taken the opportunity to go for a walk when the sun was just about to display it's sunset colours upon the land. As much as he wanted to ponder over this strange situation, he was suddenly interrupted by Kula with a wave of her paw in front of his face.

"Hey, earth to Tojo" she mocked his tendency to daydream. Rather annoyed by the interruption, the young cub shook the stars out of his head, releasing his chain of thoughts and turning his attention to Kula. "Come on and join in" she persuaded Tojo knowing that the male cub was the most laid back of the group. However, Tojo just smiled mischievously at Kula who in turn gave a quizzical look at her bright eyed friend. Within a heart beat, Tojo leapt up and pounced on Kula catching her completely by surprise. The two began to tussle playfully and now Tama had two shows to watch.

At the entrance to the cave built in pride rock, Sarabi, the queen of the Pride Lands, waited anxiously for her mate to return. She thought that Mufasa was on patrol with his majordomo, Zazu, and indeed Mufasa said so but he was taking sometime to get back.

A figure appeared in her sight shadowed by the night. Trailing the figure though was Zazu. Sarabi thought that it was Mufasa and strode up to greet her husband. However, once she was close enough, she realised that it was Scar wearing a rather distressed look on his face. Even if the two didn't get on at times in the past, Sarabi sometimes referred to scar for the latest information, even if his response was mainly filled with sarcasm.

"Where's Mufasa" she questioned Scar calmly.

Scar had a talent for performing believable but fake acting. The dark lion couldn't bring his eyes to meet hers as the pain was just too much. However there wasn't any backing away from the subject, he had to tell her.

"Th... There was an accident" Scar started, "I was taking Simba for a walk where we passed through the gorge. But suddenly, the wildebeest herd stampeded through and we were caught in the middle. Mufasa bravely came in to rescue us but..." he sighed heavily trying to move the massive weight on his shoulders

"But what?" Sarabi questioned further becoming more worried by the moment

"Both Mufasa and Simba... didn't make it".

Sarabi suddenly felt like she had been stabbed through the heart. It took a few seconds to comprehend what Scar had just told her. But the realisation was to horrific. Her husband and son were dead.

Sarabi cried out in terror and ran to the tip of the peak of Pride Rock. Her entire world had just been turned upside down and there was nothing she could do to redeem herself.

Scar simply sighed and trudged on through into the royal den. "_So far, so good_" he thought.

The cubs and the other lionesses had heard the cry of their queen outside the den. A moment later, Scar entered the den to greet them. He relayed the unfortunate news to the lionesses and the cubs overheard it. The lionesses began to despair and mourn for their sudden loss.

"What! Mufasa and Simba dead?" Malka barely spoke as he had trouble taking in the information.

All cubs stared wide eyed and mouths open, shocked beyond anything they've experienced.

"Simba..." Tama whimpered realising that their long time friend was gone forever. Even though Tama and Simba would get into heated quarrels with the smallest things, she still considered him to be a very good friend. Tears began to flow freely as she broke down. Malka was immediately at her side trying to comfort the stricken cub.

Kula and Chumvi sulked and let some tears run freely. Only Tojo, while troubled, kept a stoic stance on the situation. He thought gravely about how Nala, the light tan female cub and best friend to Simba, would take it. He would soon find out however.

"I would like to make a speech at the base of Pride Rock, if I may?" Scar requested returning his sophisticated dialect. The lionesses all nodded together and started to follow Scar out into the open with Sarabi being encouraged to join them. Tojo, Kula, Tama, Malka, and Chumvi all followed quickly behind.

Tojo noticed Nala right beside her mother crying relentlessly. Unfortunately there was nothing Tojo could do right now to comfort the poor cub. The group of lions gathered at the foot of the rock formation with Scar taking a position on top of a large, half buried rock above the group. When everyone settled down, Scar began his speech.

"Mufasa's death was a terrible tragedy" he began shaking his head in mock sadness, "but to lose, Simba who had barely begun to live".

The lionesses sulked in despair having lost their leader and the heir to the throne in a matter of moments.

Sarabi was still taking it the worst with Zazu by her side placing a single wing upon her paw for comfort.

Sarafina, mother to Nala, bowed her head in sadness and respect to her long time friend for her loss. Nala was crouched between her mother's legs feeling nothing but a longing emptiness now that her best friend was gone. She buried her head into her mother's leg and let a single tear fall down her muzzle.

The group of cubs just all sulked in sadness not making a single sound.

"For me it is a deep... personal loss" Scar continued reflecting on his relationship with his brother and his nephew "so it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne". The mourning group all looked intriguingly at scar's fulfilled proposition. But as they stared, dark, evil shadows began to move upon the face of Pride Rock.

Hundreds of hyenas assembled from out of the open expanse and congregated to the rock formation. Every lion, except Scar, gasped in fright as the dogs advanced on their position.

"Yet out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era. In which lion and hyena come together: in a great and glorious future!"

Scar immediately ascended to the peak of Pride Rock to gain overall leadership of the land. A very dark age in this pride's history had just begun.


	2. 1: Close Call

**Guide us all**

**1: Close Call  
**

A few days passed since Scar and his army of hyenas took over the Pride Lands. As if by reaction to Scar's appointment as king, the bright blue skies over the Pride Lands had disappeared only to be covered by a thick layer of gray clouds. Even though the lands still looked green and lush, it felt as though the environmental life cycle had ground to a halt. The lions of the pride felt this sudden change as well, the circle of life was beginning to break.

Since the hyenas had moved in, they had already started to over hunt many populations of grazing animal and started to disrupt the circle. The lionesses had been ordered to hunt for their rivals by King Scar in a bid to appease them. Scar had even organized an unfair routine concerning how much the pickings after each successful hunt would be divided. In favor of the hyenas, Scar had the bigger share directed to them; the lionesses and their cubs had the smaller half. Due to the new hunting schedule enforced on the Pride Lands, the Lionesses soon noticed animal herds start to migrate out of the area in search of more peaceful pastures. Further more, Scar had instantly cut off any connections and relations to any neighboring pride within the area and let the hyenas to drive them out permanently. The pride was just starting to suffer but it would only spiral downhill further.

Wherever any lion went, there was always at least one pair of watchful eyes as Scar ordered the hyenas to dissolve any form of rebellion or insurgence. The group of cubs had taken the advantage to meet up in an area that was, luckily, not as guarded as the rest of the lands: a little pond within a small rock formation.

"I'm starving" Chumvi stated as he lay awkwardly with his chin submerged in the shallow water and the rest of his body propped up on a small rock. The brown cub had so far no luck in getting a fair amount of food from their last kill.

"Well I think it would help if you didn't sit like that" Malka, spread out across another rock replied noting his odd posture, "surely that has got to be incredibly uncomfortable?"

"Well I am comfortable and I feel fine sitting like this. Anyway I didn't get much to eat during our last kill".

Tama was sat beside the rock that Malka was lying on while Kula sat beside Tojo who had laid his head on his paws, concentrating on his thoughts.

For the past few days, he had been wandering what had really caused this sudden turn of events. For a lion who had his brother killed just days before, Scar looked strangely calm and dignified. But as shady as a character he was, he still kept his sorrows and comforted lionesses. He had even led a funeral for the late king down at the scene of the death in the gorge. The cubs however were excluded from the precession as the king thought it would be too traumatic for them. But why Scar had taken upon himself to forcefully take on the title of king and allow the hyenas safe passage into the lion's kingdom remained a mystery. Was there ultimately more behind this accident then there was previously explained? Tojo could only think of that suggestion rather then bring it up verbally as he had no hard evidence to back up his theory. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

Overhearing Chumvi's complaints about his stomach issues made Tojo think about the unlawful acts the hyenas had been partaking in on the animal herds. Even smaller animals were being hunted into hiding or running by the hyenas. He was thankful that the tiny baby birds he had helped to raise last season had all fledged away good in health before the hyenas had stepped into their lives. He thought about where they were and how they were getting on. Hopefully they were enjoying their new lives and living prosperously in new lands far and wide. The thought of soaring majestically like a beautiful bird made Tojo smile slightly. All the freedom in the world would be on the tip of his claws. But, as always, he was stuck on the ground with no feathers to lift him into the air.

"What are you smiling about" Kula managed a smile of her own and once again interrupting Tojo of his thoughts. Smiles nowadays seemed pretty rare.

"Just thinking of the birds I helped to raise last season" Tojo read his thoughts out loud, "I hope they've done all right".

"I'm sure they are getting on well somewhere" Kula encouraged the surrogate father of the birds.

Tojo only nodded back as his thoughts suddenly drifted to Nala. She hadn't joined in any activity they did since the accident. It was obvious that Simba's death had shocked her to the core. More then once the cubs tried to comfort her but progress on letting her recover was painfully slow. Simba was definitely her closest friend and... possibly something else entirely. He didn't bother to delve in those thoughts as he would only upset himself thinking about Nala's future.

Suddenly, catching everyone's attention, maniacal laughs sounded in the distance. There was only one collective owner that could laugh so disturbingly hysterically: the hyenas.

"Guys, I think we should head back to pride rock now" Tama suggested perturbed by the creepy laughing.

"Why?" Chumvi asked, "you're not scared are you?"

Kula, concerned for Chumvi's safety, didn't like the fact that he was acting brash in this situation.

"Not now, Chumvi. Tama's right, we should make a move now" Kula backed up Tama's plan.

"Well I'm not scared of them" Chumvi kept up his attitude, "We're the superior animal here anyway, we could all take them on single handedly".

Malka objected to the brown cub's view.

"No, Chumvi. Even though they may well be brainless idiots, you don't want to get in a fight with a number of hyenas. They're apparently nasty when in groups".

Tama, impatient with the discussion here and getting , reinforced her primary motive right now.

"C'mon, guys. Are we leaving or not?"

The majority of the group nodded in unison, excluding Chumvi, but seeing a reason to not continue this argument, that is in the face of danger, Chumvi reluctantly agreed. They all started to stand up and get away when a bunch of hungry animal's invaded their spot.

"Well, well, well look what we 'ave here" one single female hyena in a group of 3, the leader, eyed the band of cubs while licking his lips.

The cubs, startled by the sudden appearance of the meat eaters, immediately grouped together facing them with the males at the front and the females at the back. Tojo recognised the hyenas as Scar's right hand thugs, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. It seemed obvious that Scar wasn't controlling their activities.

"What do you want?" Tojo questioned trying to sound intimidating; he, somewhat, failed.

"We just happened to drop by looking for something to eat when we suddenly realised there has been less to eat for a while now" Shenzi continued, "so since zebra steak is off the menu now, we thought we could go for leftovers". All the hyenas grinned maliciously at them.

Now the cubs were worried. They could either run immediately, or the hyenas could stall long enough with obvious food related puns to buy more time.

Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to hear any bad jokes today as they hyenas started to advance upon them with teeth bared. Banzai and Ed circled round the group and each took a side to completely box them in. Petrified, the cubs shook in fear and waited for their untimely demise.

Suddenly, a massive paw swiped at the jaw of Shenzi and a lioness tackled Banzai to the ground. Only Ed stood slack jawed at the tussle.

Banzai, angered at the intrusion, recovered quickly and stood to face the attacking lioness. Shenzi stood defensively clutching a few scratch marks that had been etched into her left cheek, replacing the old ones marked by Simba back in the Elephant Graveyard.

"You've got a lot of nerve to attack one of Scar's soldiers like that" Shenzi stated her rank against the attacker.

The cubs calmed themselves enough only to be shuffled away by another lioness getting them to safety.

"That's what happens when you attack our pride members" the royal voice of Sarabi voiced out the law of the Pride Lands, "now leave, or we will have not choice but to continue OUR attack". At her command, the hyenas backed down, in favour of not getting thrashed further. Sarabi, with order satisfied, helped the other lioness get the cubs to safety. The Pride Lands were quickly becoming a dangerous environment to live in. Action had to be taken.

Returning back to the apparent safety of Pride Rock, Sarabi quickly set the cubs down in a secluded spot around the back of their home to get them away from the hyenas.

Tama was crying into Malka's shoulder still terrified from the near miss. Kula was trying her best not to let the tears flow; Chumvi was at her side leaning his head into hers and resting a paw on top of hers in a small attempt to comfort her. Tojo was calming himself down the fastest and set about comforting the others. Sarafina had chosen to remain by the cubs to defend them from any other trouble makers.

Sarabi took her leave and headed straight to the origin of all their troubles, Scar. To have the thought and even the wit of attacking a group of innocent cubs was absolutely unthinkable – and she knew that Scar was, though indirectly, behind the act that nearly killed 5 lion cubs. She needed to settle this permanently.


End file.
